


Saving the Universe by Madison

by sgamadison



Series: The Cabin Series [5]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-16
Updated: 2010-05-16
Packaged: 2017-10-09 11:49:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/86965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sgamadison/pseuds/sgamadison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney was determined to make a life for them post-Atlantis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Saving the Universe by Madison

Saving the Universe by [Madison](viewuser.php?uid=1593) [NC-17]

 

 

**Summary:** Rodney was determined to make a life for them post-Atlantis.

 

Spoilers thru Season 5. Another installment of the Cabin Series, which might make more sense if you read the others first, but really isn't necessary.

 

 

 

* * *

>   
> Rodney blew on his cold hands and rubbed them together briskly as he knelt before the fire that he was slowly coaxing to life. Behind him, the kettle on the stove was starting to boil; he could hear the pre-whistle warning that it was making. Stuffing another piece of kindling into the fireplace, he rose, dusting off his hands as he crossed around behind the sofa and entered the small kitchen area of the cabin.
> 
>  
> 
> His timing was perfect—the whistle was just beginning to rise in pitch as he lifted the kettle off the gas burner and shut off the flames. He opened the cabinet above his head and selected two mugs—one was his own 'Speak slowly for I am not fluent in idiot' mug from his days in Atlantis and the other the one John recently gave him for Christmas, with the photo of Rodney asleep at his computer desk and Puffin sprawled on his lap. Outside the kitchen window, the scene was blindingly white with the sunlight reflecting off the snow. Ice etched the inside of the window panes—John would want to do something about insulating that better, Rodney knew.
> 
>  
> 
> He glanced over at Puffin now, the black and white cat curled in a ball along the top of the sofa, the room still too cold for her liking. He poured the hot water into the two mugs, placing tea bags within and setting both on a tray that he carried back into the coffee table.
> 
>  
> 
> "What do you think, Puffball?" he asked the cat, using John's name for her. She lifted her head and blinked at him sleepily. "Well," he continued, inspecting the room with a glance, "am I leaving anything out?"
> 
>  
> 
> The cat yawned widely, her little pink tongue curling in her mouth as she revealed surprisingly sharp fangs. She suddenly perked up, turning her head towards the door. Outside, Rodney could here the sound of booted feet coming up the stairs of the porch—he must have missed the sound of the car pulling up when he was in the kitchen messing with the kettle.
> 
>  
> 
> There was someone knocking and Rodney briefly scrubbed his palms on his pants, unexpectedly nervous as he went to answer the door.
> 
>  
> 
> He opened it to reveal Elizabeth standing there, stamping the snow off her boots, wearing a red parka that framed her short, dark hair with vibrant color, her cheeks pink with cold, and a delighted smile on her face. She looked fabulous. Rodney was suddenly reminded of the speech she'd given before they'd entered the gate for Atlantis that very first time, the way she'd stood, slim, proud and confident, memorializing the moment with words of encouragement for the expedition members.
> 
>  
> 
> "Rodney!" she cried out on seeing him. "Did you do this? All of this?" She clapped gloved hands together like an excited child, mouth open in a wide, pleased smile as she surveyed the surrounding scenery.
> 
>  
> 
> It _was_ breath-taking. A thin layer of ice coated the trees, sparkling in the bright sunshine. The air was so cold it hurt to breathe, and yet somehow made you feel very alive at the same time. To the left, Rodney's battered Land Rover was parked beside John's little red Jeep and in the shoveled out space beside them was the black Explorer that Elizabeth must have arrived in. To the right, the land opened out into a bowl, the dark border of forest showcasing a frozen pond, the surface of which was scored with skate marks, a couple of old buckets and tin cans serving as makeshift goal markers.
> 
>  
> 
> Elizabeth was beaming at him and Rodney realized he was gaping at her foolishly in his sock feet with the door wide open. "Well, don't just stand there," he said in mock irritation, "you're letting what little heat there is out. Second law of thermodynamics and all that. Come in, I've made tea."
> 
>  
> 
> He ushered her inside, shutting the door and taking her coat while Elizabeth checked out the cabin in wonder, stepping forward to scratch a welcoming Puffin under the chin and turning to Rodney with bright eyes.
> 
>  
> 
> "Rodney," she said, her mouth trembling with an emotional smile. "I don't understand."
> 
>  
> 
> She was dressed in a thick, powder blue sweater over black pants and boots and she looked younger than when he'd last seen her, before Pegasus had taken its toll on her. Before...well, before her sort-of death.
> 
>  
> 
> "This is a holodeck. I discovered it the first week we were on _Fortune_; I've been working on this program in my spare time to surprise John—it's my..._our_ cabin back on Earth. I decided that since I was doing this anyway...I thought I might as well...well, you know, it seemed to me you might enjoy, well..." he was floundering worse than usual but Elizabeth forestalled him by giving him a big hug.
> 
>  
> 
> "Rodney, thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."
> 
>  
> 
> Rodney felt horribly uncomfortable. "It's the least I could do, especially since everything that happened to you was my fault."
> 
>  
> 
> Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and clasped her hands in front of her. "Now, Rodney," she began.
> 
>  
> 
> "Well, anyway, don't get too excited about it just yet," Rodney pulled out his grumpy voice and cut off anything else she might say. It was true, if he hadn't reactivated the Replicator code so that they were wiping out civilizations left and right, if he'd listened to John and not Jennifer and had refused to reactivate Elizabeth's nanites, then she'd never have been captured by the Replicators and killed, leaving behind only the essence of her—the part now merged with _Fortune's_ AI. Of course, she'd be _dead_ dead instead of just lacking a corporal body and all the rest of them would probably be dead as well. It was complicated. He continued his grumble. "Mobile emitters are still a long way off and I only have this one program so far and..."
> 
>  
> 
> She reached out and placed a finger on his lips, beaming at him. "I understand. I should knock first. Or maybe you'd like to hang some sort of sign outside to indicate when you and John are here and...not receiving company?" She giggled like a schoolgirl as she grinned at him.
> 
>  
> 
> "Elizabeth!" Rodney felt scandalized that she should treat his relationship with John as an open secret and then shook his head. They were sharing quarters on _Fortune_ now; it wasn't like _everyone_ didn't know. But still the need to be private about John was a very strong instinct. Word was that DADT might well be repealed with the inauguration of the new president, but it hadn't happened yet.
> 
>  
> 
> "Relax, Rodney," Elizabeth said, sounding much more like the expedition leader he remembered. "I'm not going to tease you. Much."
> 
>  
> 
> "Okay, but just remember, this program is still a secret from John. I'd like to create a few more options, for the rest of the crew, you know? Before I make the use of the holodeck public." He paused to look at her critically. "And I'm sure you'd like more than just one outfit as well."
> 
>  
> 
> ****
> 
>  
> 
> John as captain of an Ancient ship was very different from John as Rodney's lover and roommate back in the cabin, or even as CO of Atlantis.
> 
>  
> 
> As military CO, John had believed in a laid-back approach to his command, relaxed in areas that didn't matter to him, unbelievably tough in those that did. He'd seemed very approachable, but anyone who knew him well knew just how much they _didn't_ know about John, how much remained hidden beneath the surface, disguised by the deceptively simple character.
> 
>  
> 
> Assuming that John was a simple man was like assuming that because you went to the seashore every summer with your parents that you knew everything there was to know about the ocean.
> 
>  
> 
> At the cabin, John had shown himself to be unexpectedly affectionate and sensual as well. It had not been not unusual for John to approach Rodney from behind while he was occupied with some task, folding Rodney into John's arms for a strong hug and a nuzzle of lips against his neck. Rodney had relished those moments—even the times he'd jumped and protested when John had slid cold fingers underneath his sweater with a laugh to warm chilled hands against Rodney's skin.
> 
>  
> 
> Sometimes they would hunker down on the couch together under a heavy blanket in front of the fireplace—Rodney reading scientific journals while John read everything he could get his hands on. That had been one of the secrets that Rodney had discovered about John—reading _War and Peace_ was no fluke. In fact, John had pretended for years that he'd never completed the novel when in fact he'd read it many times over again. Discovering that John was a voracious reader had brought an unreasonable amount of secret pride to Rodney and together they'd filled the cabin with books.
> 
>  
> 
> Another pleasant surprise had been discovering that John really enjoyed morning sex. Not that he couldn't be encouraged into sex at almost any time; in fact, more often than not, John was the initiator, dragging Rodney away from whatever task had preoccupied him for far too long. John was often most interested in sex after a day spent alone outdoors as well, and Rodney had become accustomed to being attacked whenever John had came back from whatever adventure he'd decided on that day, be it cross-country skiing or mountain climbing or just chopping wood. He'd enter the cabin, powdered with snow, pulling off his gloves and stacking his skis or whatever he'd used that day by the door, smelling of crisp, fresh air and demanding to know what there was to eat. And he'd sweep Rodney up into his arms over Rodney's protests of not really wanting to be covered with ice, thank you very much, and devour his mouth with a searing hot kiss.
> 
>  
> 
> But morning sex...now that was something different altogether. Even without the military to dictate his schedule, John had still tended to wake early back at the cabin. And while Rodney faded in and out of full wakefulness, John's hands would start a lazy exploration of his body, sometimes ceasing briefly when John himself drifted back to sleep but always rousing again until inevitably there would be John's warm hand on Rodney's cock, palming his shaft slowly, rolling his balls gently between John's fingers, dragging his nails across them slowly and sensuously. Rodney would open his eyes to see John smiling at him with a raised, suggestive eyebrow and slightly parted lips and his cock would start to fill at the sight.
> 
>  
> 
> It was an absolutely heavenly way to wake up, and one that Rodney was starting to miss.
> 
>  
> 
> John as captain was a different beast altogether. He was still lax about things that he didn't think were important, like uniforms and saluting, but the easy-going, affectionate, hands-on sort of guy that he'd been at the cabin had disappeared. He hadn't _quite_ retreated behind the Great Wall of Sheppard, though Rodney knew that could occur if something happened that threatened John emotionally, but he was definitely more reserved again. Especially when it came to the touching. Rodney was surprised that John had consented to sharing quarters with him on the _Fortune_, but he suspected that it was due in part to the fact that John had been too tired to argue at the time.
> 
>  
> 
> The responsibility for everyone on board weighed heavily on John in a way that being CO of Atlantis had not affected him. Rodney suspected that it was due in part to the fragility of their existence out here in space, relying on the Ancient ship _Fortune_ to keep them alive. It was a bit like flying about the galaxy in an egg carton as far as Rodney was concerned; but he thought that John would relax some if he could only accept the fact that _Fortune_ was capable of thought, capable of _caring_ about them as much as John did.
> 
>  
> 
> Rodney gave a sigh as he stretched out across the bed and felt the cool sheets that indicated that John was already up and gone. He didn't begrudge the fact that Ronon had convinced John to start running with him each day. But he did miss the morning sex.
> 
>  
> 
> ****
> 
>  
> 
> "Anything else to report?" John asked briskly, tapping his stylus by the PDA in front of him, where he'd recorded a few notes during the briefing. Rodney felt a brief pang for the days when John had not been running the meetings but had been sending him snarky messages through the PDA, trying to get him to laugh out loud and embarrass himself.
> 
>  
> 
> Jennifer spoke up. "The preliminary testing with Carson's gene therapy has determined that there are two latent ATA carriers within the crew, Sgt. Wilkinson and Lt. Davies.
> 
>  
> 
> "Good," John said, looking pleasantly surprised. "That'll give us two more people who can pilot the jumper, as well as make themselves useful on board here and whenever we come across Ancient tech."
> 
>  
> 
> "It'd be nice if the Colonel and I didn't have to be everywhere at once," Rodney agreed. "Only the two?"
> 
>  
> 
> Jennifer shrugged. "You know the odds as well as I do, Rodney, and the crew is not all that large."
> 
>  
> 
> Rodney nodded in concession, even as John was moving on. "Good. Have them report to me once the therapy is complete and we'll start piloting lessons. How about you, Teyla? Any word on the whereabouts of the _Destiny_?"
> 
>  
> 
> Teyla shook her head, her copper-brown hair gleaming in the overhead lights. "We have definitely traveled beyond the borders of my personal experience in the galaxy, John. I am finding useful cultures, perhaps ones that we should consider trading with since we are dependent on outside supplies for food and other resources, but so far, no one matching any description of the _Destiny_ has been sighted."
> 
>  
> 
> "You and Ronon put together a list of places we should visit. Coordinate with Elizabeth and Jennifer as to what we can reasonably offer in trade." John paused as Teyla nodded and he glanced up at the corner of the room. "Elizabeth? Anything to add?"
> 
>  
> 
> "Well," Elizabeth said over the ship's internal speakers, "you might consider consulting directly with _Fortune_ and get her thoughts on the matter." She sounded ever-the diplomat but Rodney thought she was doomed to failure here. He was right.
> 
>  
> 
> "That wasn't exactly what I meant, but thank you, Elizabeth. Very well, everyone dismissed." John rose, gathering his PDA and coffee mug. "I'll be on the bridge if anyone needs me."
> 
>  
> 
> Rodney sighed. Radek had bustled out of the room behind John, but Jennifer was lingering behind, presumably waiting on Ronon, who was obviously hanging back to see what Teyla was planning to say. He didn't have to wait long.
> 
>  
> 
> "Is there a problem between you and John, Rodney?" Teyla asked in her usual, direct manner.
> 
>  
> 
> "Not so much me and John as John and the command of this ship," Rodney admitted. There was no use pretending with Teyla; she'd work whatever it was out of him with a single look as effectively as if she were beating him with her Little Sticks of Pain.
> 
>  
> 
> Teyla frowned at him, a small furrow marring her brow.
> 
>  
> 
> Rodney sighed again. "It's the whole AI thing. John seems to be having a hard time accepting it."
> 
>  
> 
> "_Fortune_ is aware of this and feels great sorrow over this fact," Elizabeth stated, her seemingly omnipotent response causing Rodney to jump unexpectedly at the sound of her voice.
> 
>  
> 
> "Yes, well, John's not used flying _sentient_ ships," Rodney tried to explain. "Don't worry, he'll come around."
> 
>  
> 
> "We still on for tonight?" Ronon said with a grin, obviously changing the subject.
> 
>  
> 
> "Yes," Rodney said with relief, noting the expectant smiles all around him with a little zing of pleasure. "Yes, we are."
> 
>  
> 
> ****
> 
>  
> 
> "Hey," John said when he ran into Rodney in the corridor several hours later. "What's this about meeting you tonight at 1900?"
> 
>  
> 
> "You've been so hard to pin down lately that I'm scheduling a date with you," Rodney replied tartly.
> 
>  
> 
> "Look, I'm sorry, Rodney," John began hesitantly and a little defensively, "I know I've been a bit pre-occupied lately but..."
> 
>  
> 
> "No buts," Rodney interrupted, waving a hand in John's face. "I'm planning a big surprise for you and if you bail on me and spoil it, you'll be sleeping on the metaphorical couch for the rest of your life."
> 
>  
> 
> A fleeting grin passed across John's face. "You sure about that, McKay? Punishment of that sort can be a two way street."
> 
>  
> 
> "Trust me, Sheppard," Rodney said threateningly, "you do _not_ want to miss this."
> 
>  
> 
> "Okay," John tossed up a hand in a gesture of submission. "Barring unforeseen emergencies, I'll be there. Anything else on your mind?"
> 
>  
> 
> "Well, now that you mention it, why exactly are we wasting our time looking for a bunch of losers and slackers? They were assigned to the secret base in the first place and finding the _Destiny_ was their goal all along, even if they didn't know it at the time. So why does everyone have their knickers in a twist over the shiny new expedition?"
> 
>  
> 
> "They were hardly 'assigned' to be a new expedition, Rodney." John frowned at him. "Sounds to me like they had no choice—they had to make a quick dash for the gate and hope they ended up someplace with breathable air."
> 
>  
> 
> "I just don't see why we can't forget about them and go off on missions of our own choosing," Rodney complained. "It's not like anyone would care or come looking for us. They've written us off."
> 
>  
> 
> "Not everyone," John grinned. "Besides, who's to say how long it should take to find something that's lost? Or what we run into in the meantime? You know, the usual for us. Making friends, fighting enemies, saving the universe."
> 
>  
> 
> "Still," Rodney argued back, "it's a lot of fuss for a bunch of losers."
> 
>  
> 
> Obviously annoyed, John called him on it this time. "You keep saying that—on what do you base this?"
> 
>  
> 
> Rodney rolled his eyes. "I'm so glad you asked." He pulled out a folded sheet of paper from where he had it tucked inside his fleece jacket. John reached for it but Rodney snatched it away. "That's mine," he said smugly.
> 
>  
> 
> "Where'd you get that?" John asked suspiciously. He obviously thought Rodney was not above reading from a blank piece of paper, which was a definite possibility, it's just that this time he had bona fide ammunition.
> 
>  
> 
> "From _Fortune_. You know, if you'd just _talk_ to the ship once in a while, you'd see that she's really not so bad, once you get to know her."
> 
>  
> 
> "I'm not talking to any inanimate object, Rodney," John growled. "Why do we keep having this conversation?"
> 
>  
> 
> "Because she's not inanimate. For crying out loud, John, I've seen you pat the puddlejumper on occasion. Why are you being so stubborn about this?"
> 
>  
> 
> _Because she's not Atlantis_. Rodney could see the thought cross John's face just a moment before he carefully blanked out all expression. Rodney gave an internal sigh. Sometimes he thought he was the only one who missed the expedition and the _city_ and then he would get blindsided by John's more subtle reactions. He chose now to continue on as though he hadn't noticed anything.
> 
>  
> 
> "Anyway," Rodney waved the paper, "_Destiny_ is _Fortune_'s sister ship and there is some inexplicable, undoubtedly Ancient-in-origin communication through subspace between them—though not nearly enough to convince _Destiny_ to abort the original programming and return home. I got a crew list from...hey!"
> 
>  
> 
> John snatched the paper out of Rodney's hands. "Colonel Young," he read aloud. "Heard of him. Don't know him. Supposed to be an okay guy, experienced."
> 
>  
> 
> "Well, he's going to need it. You should feel sorry for him," Rodney felt all too gleeful at the prospect of Young's potential headaches. "Look at the rest of the roster. It took them a while to sort out the missing from the dead, but these are the presumed survivors—the ones that made it through the gate."
> 
>  
> 
> "Tamara Jon, field medic," John continued to read from the list.
> 
>  
> 
> "They're _really_ going to need her," Rodney huffed a little. "Closest thing they've got to a doctor unless _Destiny_ provides them with a medical hologram."
> 
>  
> 
> For the briefest of moments, Rodney got a mental image of Woolsey appearing in the infirmary, asking the room at large to state the nature of the medical emergency. As Rodney snickered, John made eye contact with him and smirked, knowing they were both thinking the same thing. Woolsey looked exactly like that hologram from _Voyager_. If Richard Woolsey had been a different sort of man, they'd have probably ribbed him about it when he took over as expedition leader in Atlantis that final year.
> 
>  
> 
> "A medic. Lacking both the experience and the support system to deal with whatever Pegasus dishes out," Rodney reminded. He knew how stressed Jennifer became at times when faced with the weird and lethal things that Pegasus lobbed in their direction on a daily basis. And she was a trained _doctor_.
> 
>  
> 
> "All the more reason to find them and get them back on course for home," John said mildly, not taking his eyes off the paper. "Chloe Carpenter Walker. Daughter of Senator Walker."
> 
>  
> 
> "Oh, my_god_!" Rodney intonated, giving the phrase a Valley girl kind of twist. "Can you say sorority girl? Completely useless and voted most likely to annoy? They should shove her out the nearest airlock."
> 
>  
> 
> "Now, c'mon, Rodney," John seemed to be holding back a grin, "give the kid a chance. You never know, they might need someone who can throw a decent party."
> 
>  
> 
> This time when Rodney snickered, John joined in.
> 
>  
> 
> "Go on," Rodney encouraged with an airy wave of his hand, "read the rest."
> 
>  
> 
> "Eli Hitchcock Wallace, Lt. Matthew Jared Scott, Sgt. Ronald 'Psycho" Greer," John finished off the list.
> 
>  
> 
> "Wallace and Walker, won't they make a nice, pretty, alliterative pair. Wallace has some promise but he's never finished anything he's ever started. He just dabbles—a slacker through and through."
> 
>  
> 
> "Maybe he just needs a little confidence," John said with a slight shoulder shrug. "Pegasus can bring out the best in people, you know."
> 
>  
> 
> Rodney could tell where that was coming from and he headed it off. "And the worst. He'll have to come up to speed pretty damn fast—he's the closest thing they have to real scientist on board. You know all the problems _we've_ faced on the _Fortune_, and you've got both me and Radek here. Not to mention Elizabeth as part of the AI."
> 
>  
> 
> John's mouth twitched in a grimace of agreement.
> 
>  
> 
> "Lt. Scott is an unproven element though I guess we should all feel reassured that they have someone named 'Scotty' on board. And seriously, would you want someone named 'Psycho' on your team?"
> 
>  
> 
> John grinned suddenly, looking about twelve years old and ready to tackle something dangerous with his skateboard. How he could go from looking world-weary to impossibly youthful in a blink of an eye, Rodney had no idea. "We could start calling Ronon 'Psycho'."
> 
>  
> 
> "We _could_," Rodney emphasized, "but we won't. I'm betting 'Psycho' is a loose cannon."
> 
>  
> 
> John flipped the sheet over and read from the back. "Dr. Nicholas David Rush."
> 
>  
> 
> "_What_?" Rodney snapped. He hadn't realized there was anything on the back of the page. "Let me see that." He snatched the paper from John's hand and stared at it, open mouthed.
> 
>  
> 
> "See, not all slackers and losers after all," John said smugly, even though Rodney knew he was only taking that position to be contrary. "Sounds like someone Col. Young can rely on."
> 
>  
> 
> Rodney started to laugh. "No, no, not all losers and slackers." He laughed even harder.
> 
>  
> 
> "What's so funny?" John was obviously torn between wanting to be right and wanting to be in on the joke.
> 
>  
> 
> "Dr. Nicholas Rush," Rodney beamed at John. "Hah. If you think _I'm_ difficult to work with, you should meet Nick Rush. Mt. Rushmore, we called him. Ohmygod, what a pain in the ass. Probably heading up some super-duper secret project. Now I really feel sorry for the Colonel."
> 
>  
> 
> "But he's a brilliant scientist, right?' John's eyes narrowed slightly; Rodney could tell he was playing the professional jealousy card.
> 
>  
> 
> Rodney snorted. "Oh yes, brilliant, erratic, unpredictable, temperamental...he thinks he's Dr. Who," Rodney finished sourly.
> 
>  
> 
> "So do you, Rodney," John chuckled, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. Damn it, he didn't have to look so damn hot when he did that. When John crossed his arms against his chest and his legs at the ankles and leveled that effortless, sultry smile in his direction, Rodney usually found himself on the losing end of whatever argument he was trying to conduct.
> 
>  
> 
> "I wanted to _be_ Dr. Who. When I was twelve," Rodney lifted his chin in John's direction. "There's a big difference."
> 
>  
> 
> "Oh. I stand corrected." John continued to smirk at him from his leaning position, not standing upright at all as far as Rodney could tell. "Look me in the eye and tell me that you wouldn't give your right arm to be Dr. Who right now."
> 
>  
> 
> "Well who wouldn't?" Rodney changed tactics suddenly, something he'd learned a long time ago from John himself. "Of _course_, I'd like to be Dr. Who. But I don't go around acting as though I am. Let me tell you, I think the Colonel would almost be better off with the kids from the Brady Bunch here, because Rush is going to be a big problem for him. I know exactly what it's like to butt heads with good ol' Rushmore. And really, if it came right down to it, no, I really don't want to be Dr. Who."
> 
>  
> 
> "Oh really," John drawled and this time it was the sexy bedroom drawl, the one that gave Rodney little shivers of anticipation every time he heard it. "And why is that?"
> 
>  
> 
> "I'm way cooler than Dr. Who," Rodney anticipated John's disbelieving grin and let his second verbal punch fly before John could contradict him. "And besides, I have you."
> 
>  
> 
> John blinked at him a long second. "Oh."
> 
>  
> 
> And then he smiled. His real smile. The one Rodney was sure most people never saw. It gave him hope that his plan would work after all.
> 
>  
> 
> ****
> 
>  
> 
> "Where exactly are you taking me?" John drawled, a hint of wariness in his voice. He'd submitted to the blindfold more easily than Rodney had hoped (and Rodney had filed that bit of information away somewhere, just in case that turned out to be one of John's kinks) and he'd snorted at Rodney's insistence on bringing the cat.
> 
>  
> 
> "You'll see, Colonel Impatient," Rodney continued to drag John down the hall by his sleeve, as John was charged with holding Puffin. That contrary little female lounged in John's arms with nary a struggle. Typical.
> 
>  
> 
> "You know how I feel about surprises, McKay," John warned as they paused in front of a door panel and Rodney began to enter his personal access code.
> 
>  
> 
> "Yes, yes, I do. And how you feel about the Wraith. And clowns." Rodney felt a moment of concern—what if John _didn't_ like the surprise?
> 
>  
> 
> "And you." John cocked his head in Rodney's direction and gave his little half-smile. His hair was sitting up in odd tufts from the blindfold and he looked good enough to eat.
> 
>  
> 
> "And me what?" Rodney was distracted by his internal thoughts.
> 
>  
> 
> "And you," John repeated patiently. "You know how I feel about you, right?"
> 
>  
> 
> Rodney blinked at John, open-mouthed, long enough that John raised an eyebrow over the blindfold and said, "Rodney?"
> 
>  
> 
> "Um, oh, right, yes, of course, right," Rodney said hastily in some confusion as the door in front of them opened. He latched on to John's sleeve again and hauled him stumblingly through the door. As it closed behind them, Puffin struggled out of John's arms with a meow and landed on the floor.
> 
>  
> 
> "Rodney?" John said inquiringly. Rodney could see him tilting his head again, testing out the air, trying to determine what was different.
> 
>  
> 
> "Okay, you can take the blindfold off now." Rodney stood nervously before John, trying not to wring his hands.
> 
>  
> 
> The look of surprise on John's face was beautiful—and well worth all the late nights working on the project when John himself was up doing captainy things.
> 
>  
> 
> "We're in the bedroom of our cabin," John said in a tone of awe, dropping the blindfold to the floor and surveying the room around them. Puffin jumped up on the bed and gave a masterful stretch, bowing down and then arching her back, straightening out each hind leg and wiggling her toes before curling up on the nearest pillow for a nap.
> 
>  
> 
> "Yes, yes, well, see, I told you that I'd discovered the holodeck," Rodney began explaining excitedly, now that he was sure of the reception of his gift. "And the basic programs were very simple, some training exercises for the personnel, some fitness stuff, that sort of thing. Radek and I worked on the code; we thought it would be a good idea to write some simple programs so that people could take a break and relax a little, though we are still arguing as to whether or not a tiki bar would be preferable to some smelly old Czech pub. And anyway, I decided to write _this_ program...for us."
> 
>  
> 
> "We're in the bedroom of our cabin," John said again, voice lowering into a husky register as his chin dipped and he looked up at Rodney with gleaming eyes.
> 
>  
> 
> Rodney had a split second to think '_wow_!' before John pounced.
> 
>  
> 
> They hit the wall behind Rodney with a thud, causing the picture beside the door to jump a little, John pressing Rodney into the wooden panels, his mouth savagely assaulting Rodney's, demanding an entrance that Rodney willingly gave. Rodney found his own hands pulling up John's shirt in return, seeking the waistband of his BDUs and hauling him physically closer so he could cup John's ass. John pushed up against him harder with a groan, pulling his mouth away from Rodney's to work his way down Rodney's neck with sharp, little nips and lips that applied warm, wet pressure. Rodney's head fell back against the wall with a thump and he placed a hand in John's hair, scratching lightly, encouraging John for more.
> 
>  
> 
> Until he remembered.
> 
>  
> 
> He shouldered John off of him and was momentarily taken aback by the hungry, _intense_ look that he was receiving from John. He looked angry and dangerous and for a second Rodney felt both desired and threatened and if that wasn't the weirdest, hottest thing he'd ever experienced, he didn't know what was.
> 
>  
> 
> "Um, everyone from the crew is waiting for us on the other side of the door," Rodney blurted out.
> 
>  
> 
> "What?"
> 
>  
> 
> "It's a party, it's a party for you, it was supposed to be a surprise birthday party, only I didn't get the program finished in time and I really wanted to surprise you, so you need to pull yourself together and go in there and pretend to be surprised." Rodney began trying to tuck John's shirt back in.
> 
>  
> 
> John started to laugh.
> 
>  
> 
> "Hush!" Rodney exclaimed, trying unsuccessfully to cover John's mouth as John pulled out of reach and laughed harder. "Do you want them to _hear_ us?"
> 
>  
> 
> John looked at Rodney solemnly for a moment and then totally lost it.
> 
>  
> 
> "Stop it! Stop with the donkey laugh!" Rodney smacked at John's shoulder and John suddenly pulled him into an embrace.
> 
>  
> 
> "You don't think they heard us hit the wall earlier?" John whispered in his ear, his hands moving up and down Rodney's back. "You don't think they'll notice that you've been thoroughly kissed?"
> 
>  
> 
> "Maybe," Rodney said unconvincingly.
> 
>  
> 
> John released him with a snort and stepped back. "By all means, let's go in."
> 
>  
> 
> Only John could make that sound as dirty as it did.
> 
>  
> 
> ****
> 
>  
> 
> The party had been a raging success. Rodney had called the hot tub off-limits, but Radek had brought a sufficient quantity of tormack moonshine so that no one seemed to mind. And John's look of stunned astonishment and the sight of Elizabeth hugging him was priceless. Radek also proved to be camera happy and the flash kept going off most of the evening. Ronon turned out to be something of a ham, mugging for photos with most of the crew and planting a big kiss on an embarrassed but pleased Jennifer when Radek asked to take a picture of the two of them together. Teyla was beaming with little Torren perched on her hip, Kanaan looked like he was having fun for the first time in Rodney's memory. Rodney was enjoying himself, though he wished they'd all go home soon.
> 
>  
> 
> Not everyone could attend the party at the same time, as someone had to be running the ship; those on duty took turns so that there was a steady stream of visitors coming and going all evening. So when towards the end of the evening, there came another knock at the door, Rodney wasn't surprised.
> 
>  
> 
> "I'll get it," he called out over the din of conversation, opening the door without hesitation. On the porch stood a young woman in a thin jacket, looking cold. She had long, dark brown hair that curled gently over her shoulders and hazel eyes that seemed to be pleading with him as he stared at her in confusion. She gave him a wan smile. "May I come in?"
> 
>  
> 
> "Uh, who exactly _are_ you?" Rodney asked, still holding the door like it was a tollgate and blocking her entrance. John was beside him in a flash, the others in the room rising to their feet as well.
> 
>  
> 
> "I'm Fortune." The young woman shuffled her feet with the cold, rubbing her gloveless hands together as well. "I thought since you were all here, it might be nice to introduce myself."
> 
>  
> 
> There was a long silence broken only by Radek muttering something in Czech.
> 
>  
> 
> Rodney exchanged a bug-eyed glance with John, who laid a hand on his arm and said quietly, "Don't be rude, Rodney, let her in."
> 
>  
> 
> They both stepped back from the door as Fortune beamed and entered the room.
> 
>  
> 
> "Wow," Jennifer breathed into the stunned silence. "Why does this feel like a Tiny Tim moment?"
> 
>  
> 
> A nervous laugh rippled around the room and the tension eased.
> 
>  
> 
> "Why does she look like she could be Sheppard's sister?" Ronon said, earning a slap on the arm from both Teyla and Jennifer at the same time. "What?" Ronon looked hurt. "I'm just saying..."
> 
>  
> 
> Radek moved forward to offer her a drink. "I must say, this will certainly make understanding your systems easier," he said with a smile.
> 
>  
> 
> "What, are you _crazed_?" Rodney intervened, snagging the drink out of Radek's hands. "You can't get the ship drunk on your noxious brew. Who knows where we'd end up?"
> 
>  
> 
> Fortune smiled. "Relax, Rodney. May I call you Rodney? Your tormack punch cannot affect me in that way. Though I have an idea or two for a more effective distillation method," she suggested to Radek with a bit of a twinkle.
> 
>  
> 
> Soon everyone was crowding around her to ask questions. Everyone but John. He stood silently watching the interaction with his crew, listening to her answers but saying nothing. Rodney eyed him uneasily. It was times like this when he was so very conscious of his failings in all his personal relationships. Here he was, faced with what was obviously a problem for John and Rodney simply didn't know what to _do_. He hated feeling so helpless.
> 
>  
> 
> Finally, at long last the party seemed to be winding down.
> 
>  
> 
> Elizabeth and Fortune approached together to say their goodbyes.
> 
>  
> 
> "I know the two of you would like to get some rest," Elizabeth suggested with a smile. "I just wanted to say how very, very happy I am to be here. Thank you, Rodney. And happy birthday, John." She stepped forward to give each of them a kiss on the cheek.
> 
>  
> 
> "I, too, wanted to say how very pleased I am to have you all here," Fortune said quietly. "Too much time had passed since I had purpose or a reason to exist."
> 
>  
> 
> "It's an arrangement that will work out well for all of us," John said, reminding Rodney just why John had been so very good at all those first contact situations.
> 
>  
> 
> Fortune beamed at him, her smile lighting up her whole face. "You can't know just how much...a ship without a crew is nothing but a hunk of metal floating in space. And this crew..." she looked around the room and then cast a shy smile at Rodney. "There is cohesion and strength here. There is something about the collective that exceeds the individual." She lifted her eyes to look directly at John. "I am proud to serve as your ship, Colonel."
> 
>  
> 
> "You can call me John," he said with a causal little shrug. "Everyone else does."
> 
>  
> 
> "Just don't hug him," Rodney warned. "He's really not the hugging type."
> 
>  
> 
> John made a face and slung one arm around Rodney's shoulders, putting him into a headlock briefly as Rodney protested loudly.
> 
>  
> 
> "It's okay, we're okay, he's just teasing," Rodney said when Fortune's eyes grew large and she appeared alarmed.
> 
>  
> 
> As the two women made their way down the porch stairs into the snowy night, Rodney could hear Fortune saying, "Please explain to me why we are pretending we are in a place called Canada?"
> 
>  
> 
> Rodney shut the door. They were finally alone.
> 
>  
> 
> "I can't believe you recreated our cabin," John said, sitting on the arm of the couch.
> 
>  
> 
> Rodney came over to him, stepping into the space created when John spread his legs. He placed his hands on John's shoulders. "I missed it," he said simply. "I miss _us_."
> 
>  
> 
> John pressed his face into Rodney's abdomen for a moment and then looked up with a smile. "I disagree with Fortune about one thing though."
> 
>  
> 
> "Oh, and what's that?" Rodney said, stepping back and pulling John to his feet.
> 
>  
> 
> "The collective doesn't exceed _every_ individual," John murmured against his neck. "Let's go to bed."
> 
>  
> 
> "Strangely enough, I'm good with that," Rodney grinned.
> 
>  
> 
> ~fin~


End file.
